Aubrey’s expression was grim.
In this era, powerhouses were not exactly common, but they were not impossible to find either.
This was especially true with the advent of systematically trained mages.
As long as one had enough talent and practiced diligently, they were bound to secure a place for themselves.
However, there were hurdles that were difficult to overcome.
In terms of power levels, level thirty and level sixty were both major thresholds.
Those who could break through the former were already considered the elite of the elite, to say nothing of the latter.
But besides the major milestones, there were smaller hurdles as well.
Every ten levels presented a new challenge, and the higher one climbed, the more difficult it became.
The selection process for mages was also incredibly strict; anyone capable of becoming a Branch President was inevitably a powerhouse above level thirty.
"President Vincent, since when has the Mage Association started involving itself in politics?"
"Heh, Mr. Aubrey, you say that, but sometimes our hands are tied."
Vincent gave a mirthless smile, his eyes dark and cold, giving Aubrey the unsettling sensation of being watched by a venomous snake.
As he spoke, Vincent flipped his hand, and a red glow appeared in his palm.
Heat began to radiate from it, casting a mysterious and unpredictable light across his face.
"Furthermore, I am not representing the Mage Association today, but participating as an individual mage."
"President Vincent, do you truly intend to make an enemy of me? You should think this through carefully. Once you stand against me, it will be difficult for you to find a place in our circles in the future."
"If there is no place for me, I will simply leave. Besides, if I protect her today, do I really need to worry about having a place to go?"
The fireball in Vincent’s hand flickered, its scorching radiance causing Aubrey to squint his eyes.
Vincent glanced at the man holding the bow and let out a cold laugh.
"Mr. Aubrey, while I understand your motives, your perspective is far too narrow."
"My perspective?"
"Yes. The young lady behind me was able to gather the elite races of the entire continent to fight the demon army and even counterattack the demon island by herself. Such a person... has not appeared in a thousand years."
"I enjoy studying history, so I understand the demon race far better than people like you who have only seen them in books."
"If such an existence were to be cut down here, it would be a terrible shame. We would likely have to wait another thousand years to see another like her."
"But in a thousand years, will this continent still belong to all races? By then, the demon race will have likely annihilated everyone."
Aubrey’s face darkened as he stared at Vincent floating in midair.
"Are you so certain that such a person cannot emerge from among our nobility?"
Vincent smiled, seemingly having prepared an answer for such a question long ago.
"I cannot be certain. Perhaps such an existence truly will appear among the nobles, but what you speak of is an unknown, whereas the young lady behind me is standing right before our eyes, a living legend."
"Unless one is a fool, everyone knows which choice to make."
As he said this, Vincent looked at the fireball with interest, idly rolling it between his fingers.
"To be honest, if I had known that the person you were capturing that day was her, I would have acted then. Fortunately, it is not too late now."
Aubrey’s expression grew even more serious.
This man, Vincent, had always kept a low profile and had not spent much time in Moonrise City.
No one knew the true extent of his power.
Making an enemy of him was clearly an unwise move.
But if they didn't act now, they might not get another chance.
"You are stalling for time!?"
Aubrey’s eyes suddenly widened. Just as Vincent was about to respond, Aubrey seized the moment and roared, "Kill him!!"
The archer standing ready beside him drew his bow and notched an arrow, the entire process taking less than a tenth of a second.
As the bowstring hummed, the arrow pierced the darkness with a whistle, appearing instantly before Vincent.
The polished triangular arrowhead even reflected Vincent’s dark, cold gaze.
Boom!
An explosion erupted, and smoke billowed into the air as flames momentarily illuminated the surroundings.
Aubrey squinted into the thick fog.
But in the next second, the archer beside him suddenly grabbed his shoulder.
Aubrey felt a massive force surge through him, and before he could even react, he was thrown backward.
Before he even hit the ground, a streak of fire shot out from the smoke.
Boom!!
With a loud crash, Aubrey landed on the ground and used his years of training to roll and regain his footing.
When he looked up, the scene before him made his skin crawl.
Where he had just been standing, a black crater six meters in diameter and two meters deep had appeared in the stone road.
His beloved horse was gone, leaving not even a trace of ash behind.
The bluestone slabs on the ground had been scorched in an instant, melting the surrounding area.
Even from a dozen meters away, Aubrey could feel the searing heat on his cheeks.
In the next second, a shrill whistle sounded as another explosion rang out in the sky.
A figure suddenly burst out of the smoke. Though he didn't look disheveled, his expression was incredibly grim.
On the roof of a nearby two story building, the archer who had just thrown Aubrey was standing on the edge of the eaves, his bow drawn to full tension.
"Master, I am afraid I will not be able to look after anything else from here on."
The archer finally spoke. Though his voice was calm, one could tell just by looking at him that his attention was entirely focused on Vincent in the sky.
An archer naturally held a certain advantage over a mage, but he didn't feel the slightest bit of ease from that advantage.
A level fifty one archer could not feel relaxed in front of this mage.
This meant that the mage before him was at least level fifty eight or fifty nine. If one were to be more extreme, it wasn't impossible for him to be over level sixty!
This forced him to face the enemy with everything he had.
"Decide for yourself."
Aubrey knew there was no point in trying to tough it out any longer. To make someone of that caliber so wary, Vincent’s strength was unfathomable!
In the center of the battlefield, the girl with silver hair and crimson eyes was incredibly conspicuous.
Soldiers were falling one after another, not just from the noble army, but also many from Byron’s side.
Yet, there was not a trace of fear or panic in the girl’s eyes.
She maintained an unbelievable level of composure, constantly directing the military formation.
The circle of the formation had now shrunk to a diameter of fifty meters.
Only about six or seven hundred soldiers remained.
Could they say victory was within their grasp? Then why did he feel a faint sense of unease in his heart?
As time passed, that unease only made him more anxious.
He couldn't wait any longer!
"What are you all standing around for?! Have the experts from your families come out! If we wait any longer, we will be the ones dying next!!"
Aubrey’s shout caused the managers of the other family estates to furrow their brows.
It did seem a bit early to commit their final means.
However, as they looked at Vincent in the sky, a single thought occurred to all of them.
Was this girl truly the Chosen One? Why did she have so many supporters even when she was at a dead end?
From that little thug Izzy, to the socialite Aiya, then a mysterious mage, and even Lord Byron had defected.
Then there were the civilians.
And now, even the Branch President of the Mage Association had stepped forward.
They truly couldn't wait any longer!
Thinking of this, the nobles sitting on their horses nodded one after another.
The experts following them finally made their move!
The first were the mages!
"O great elements, hear my voice! Send down your boundless majesty—Falling Heavens!"
A massive rock rose from the ground, reaching nearly ten meters in diameter. Immediately after, a mage nearby saw this and quickly added his own magic.
"Bone-Melting Flame!"
Boom!!
The massive rock was instantly engulfed in a ball of flame, the blazing light momentarily brightening the sky.
"Prismatic Ice Arrow!"
"Air Wave Slash!"
"Gale Hunter Blade!"
In the next second, archers, mages, and warriors alike—the experts privately kept by the nobles—all struck at once.
The sky became a kaleidoscope of colors in an instant, looking like a vibrant painting!
While the outer circle was changing, Luo Li continued to command the army, never losing track of the situation outside.
Seeing Vincent intervene, though she didn't know why he was helping her, she was still grateful to him.
But now, the situation had taken a sudden turn for the worse as the nobles prepared to strike with everything they had.
Luo Li turned to look at Hubert beside her without hesitation.
"Hubert, get ready!!"
Hubert was stunned for a moment, but before he could react, the girl began to chant.
"Sleeping hero, in the name of Luo Li Saint Sariel, I beseech you to wake from your eternal slumber and bring forth the light for us!"
Luo Li’s gaze landed on Hubert.
At this moment, the only person she could think of... was that one.
Amidst the multicolored glow in the sky, a beam of pure white moonlight descended from above, crashing into the ground with a roar.
At the same time, the kaleidoscope of lights instantly filled the entire battlefield!
"Sacred Knight Virginia, I have come in response to your summons!"
In that instant, a hand suddenly swung outward.
Boom!
The multicolored lights were suddenly engulfed by holy light and vanished in the blink of an eye!
Hubert remained in a punching stance, his eyes filled with gravity.
"A Heroic Spirit of the Sacred Knights is here! Who dares to be disrespectful to the Saintess?!"
Hubert was shrouded in a violent and chaotic holy energy, and his gaze was cold.
The last time she had appeared, the lady behind her was relatively safe, and the summoning had been calm.
But this time, she had arrived in a good mood, only to be greeted by so many attacks the moment she appeared. Her good mood was instantly ruined!
"Virginia, there’s no time to explain. I’ll leave those experts to you."
Luo Li observed the battlefield. The flash of multicolored light in the sky had caused a brief moment of chaos among the soldiers on the ground.
That single moment of confusion had cost the army over a hundred men.
Now, only about four hundred soldiers remained, and the circle had shrunk to a diameter of thirty meters.
"Your Highness, could you use a better body next time? And... could you not use a man? It’s so awkward. There’s something extra in the middle, and I have to be mindful of it when I move."
Virginia looked down and clenched her fists, then looked down at that specific spot with a look of disgust.
"I’ve never even touched anything other than my husband’s... and this is so small..."
Luo Li was stunned for a moment, then realized she was right. A man possessing a woman might just feel awkward, but a woman possessing a man was truly strange.
Still, Virginia was quite reckless, saying whatever was on her mind. Some things really didn't need to be said out loud.
"Uh... sorry. I’ll keep that in mind next time."
Virginia turned her head, and a naive expression appeared on Hubert’s face as she blinked at Luo Li before scanning the situation.
"Whatever, I’ll let it slide this time. Just don’t let it happen again~"
"I promise."
Before her stood a Heroic Spirit, but no one could guarantee that this spirit wouldn't suddenly turn its blade against her.
Even though she was the one who summoned her, she didn't have total control. The final decision of what to do rested with the summoned Heroic Spirit.
That was why she had chosen ones who were relatively easy to talk to and had sufficient strength.
It made sense when she thought about it.
She was the Saintess now. If she summoned a beastman Sword Emperor who hated humans, she would probably be the first one cut in half the moment he appeared.
Virginia nodded in satisfaction. When she turned back to face those experts, her expression turned cold and dark.
"It seems the Saintess has quite a lot of enemies. But it doesn't matter. These people..."
Virginia raised her hand and swept it through the air.
"Are all my prey!!"
Boom!!
The moment she finished speaking, Virginia’s figure vanished from the ground.
A massive web of cracks was left where she had just been standing. The sturdy bluestone slabs seemingly couldn't withstand the force of her light step.
Bam!
In the next second, a mist of blood erupted in the sky!
Many people looked up, and before they could even realize what had happened, a second mist of blood exploded.
There were many experts, but those who had reached level fifty were as rare as phoenix feathers.
These families were all branch families. Aside from people like the Borgia family who had ulterior motives, the experts kept by the other families were mostly just strong enough to protect their own lives, around level forty.
They couldn't afford to keep anyone higher, and such powerhouses wouldn't necessarily look twice at a branch family.
Although the power Virginia could exert now was limited, she possessed the combat experience and techniques of a Sacred Knight.
Even using the body of a level twenty mage, she could still exert power exceeding level fifty.
This was a slaughter!
Rate on N.U.
